My name is Safia [cultural name: Safiya] Abdulle (she/her). I am a Somali-Canadian, Black, Muslim woman, raised in Southwestern Ontario, the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg people – Three Fires Confederacy.

I am a PhD Candidate in the School of Social Work, at York University, in Toronto, Canada.

My research and work primarily focused on the intersections of race and disability in social work research and practice. My current work focuses on the diagnosis experiences and outcomes for Black, neurodivergent people. I aim to problematize how Black neurodivergence is societally situated as pathology and deviance.

I hold a Masters in Social Work, an Honours BA in Developmental Psychology with Thesis, and a certification in Autism and Behavioural Science. My overall work is situated at the intersections of children’s health, social work, critical disability/autism studies, and Black studies.

A Bit About Me